The Best Weed Killers to Clean Up Your Yard
Make your neighbors green with envy with these top weed killers.
Walmart
Not everyone is lucky enough to own a yard. Or an outdoor garden. Or a lawn. And while having that beautiful outdoor space is like the ultimate adult flex, they also come with a bit of trouble: weeds. Weeds, the invasive plants and not, you know, weed, are a troublesome group of vegetation that includes varieties such as crabgrass, dandelions and ragweed, among many others. Not only are they an eyesore among your well-planned garden or envy-inducing lawn, but they can horde nutrients, overrun the plants you want and even be harmful to you.
You can definitely pluck out weeds on your own — though gloves are a must since some weeds are toxic and can cause a rash — but for those with acres of property or those who are just averse to manual labor, weed killers are the way to go.
Weed killers entered the national discussion back in 2020 when Roundup maker Bayer agreed to pay over $10 billion in settlements from cases claiming that glyphosate, the foundation of Roundup's weed killers, caused non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma. The link between whether or not glyphosate is connected to cancer is unknown. The World Health Organization deemed glyphosate as a "probable carcinogen," while the Environmental Protection Agency said it's "not likely" to cause cancer. To stay on the safe side, we narrowed down our list of the best weed killers to those that don't contain glyphosate and found the following products to be the best weed killers to buy.
How to Protect Against Weeds
If you're looking to prevent getting weeds in the first place, you'll need to come up with a plan for taking care of your lawn or garden the right way. To get the skinny, we spoke to Teri Valenzuela, Natural Science Manager at lawn care brand Sunday. For lawns, Valenzuela says, "Investing in a premium grass seed that has a weed-free guarantee, a high rate of germination and is cultivated to better withstand plant stressors like drought will build a dense, thick lawn that’s able to outcompete weeds."
For gardens, she recommends the right set of tools to set yourself up for success. Namely, a "planting tool that doubles as a weed-remover," like a hori hori knife, and fertilizer that "offers targeted nutrients for a variety of plants," like Sunday's own WonderFert.
What to Look for in a Weed Killer
Targeted Weed Killing vs. Non-Selective Killing
Some weed killers are meant to kill just one type, or many types, of weeds upon contact, and Valenzuela says it's important to figure out who your enemy is before you just go out and buy any weed killer. Targeted weed killing is good for those who know exactly what type of weed is terrorizing their property, and it makes it safe to use in the presence of plants, grass and other desirable vegetation. Non-selective weed killers do just what it sounds like — kill whatever greenery they come in contact with.
Ready-to-Use vs. Concentrate
Spray weed killers generally come in two forms: ready-to-use and concentrate. You can think of this like you would antifreeze. One type is ready to go right out of the bottle, while the concentrate needs to be mixed with water prior to use. Ready-to-use sprays offer more convenience, while concentrates can help stretch the product's lifespan and also allow for tailoring weed-killing strength.
Quality Ingredients
Unless you want to wreck your lawn — or even potentially put your family in danger — you want to look for ingredients that are both safe and effective. "Better ingredients is key. Avoid pre-emergents that blanket lawns and gardens in pesticides, and never use harmful post-emergents like glyphosate," says Valenzuela. "Dandelion Doom is a biopesticide with one active ingredient — iron! Weed Warrior is an OMRI-listed weed control approved for organic gardening."
Always Read the Safety Labels
Safety labels are there for a reason. Whether or not a weed killer has chemicals in it, it's always important to make sure you're using the weed killer properly. Not all are safe to use in the presence of pets and children, and you should be aware of how long you should wait after applying weed killer before it's completely safe to be in the vicinity again. "Always read the label first — safety is key!" says Valenzuela.
How to Get Rid of Weeds
If weeds do show up, there's more you need to do to get rid of them than just buy a bottle of weed killer and call it a day. After you've figured out what kind of weed killer you need and have read your safety label, it's time to get your hands dirty — literally. "Handpull larger weeds first. This practice uses less product and avoids wasteful applications," Valenzuela tells us. "Next, remove or mow flowering heads off of weeds before applying any pesticides or weed killers to undesirable plants."
After you've taken those preliminary manual steps, it's time to bust out the weed killer. "Apply target spot treatment applications to weeds that are in patches or smaller than 5 inches in height. Reapply as needed," says Valenzuela. But you're not done just yet. After killing your weeds, you need to re-seed in order to win the war against weeds. "Always follow weed control with seeding. This builds a healthy lawn able to outcompete weeds."
